Bhagavatgita a detailed study chapter14 The three gunas

[Guest guest]

16.karmaNaH sukrthasya aahuH

saathvikam nirmalam phalam

 

Rajasasthu phalam duhkham ajaanam thamasaH phalam

The

result of good actions is pure satthva, grief is the result of rajas and ignorance

is the fruit of thamas.

 

This and the two slokas following this are a sort

of summary of what has been said earlier. sukrthaH refers to good and selfless

actions which comes out of good thoughts. If the actions are to be good the

thoughts have to be good. By thinking on the Lord and doing good to others,

following the path laid out by the scriptures and cultivation the virtues of

ahimsa, sathyam etc. results in satthva and the mind becomes pure with evil impulses

removed.

 

For

an ordinary individual who is engaged in desire motivated activities, the rajasik

temperament produces only grief as the desires only grow by being fed, like a fire. So he never acquires the mental

peace which is the result of satthvva.

 

Thamas

on the other hand produces igmorance.

 

 

17. satthvaath sanjaayathe jnaanam

rajasaH lobha eva cha

 

Pramaadhamohou thamsaH bhavathaH ajnnam eva cha

 

Wisdom

arises from satthva, greed from rajas and negligence and delusion and ignorance

from thamas.

 

From

satthva one gets knowledge which stands for all the effects of satthva like

mental peace, joy, luminance etc.

 

From

rajas, greed that is accompanied by anger, arrogance etc. result and from

thamas all the evil effects that are described already like negligence,

delusion, lethargy, listlessness etc. arise.

 

18.oorDhvam gacchanthi satthvasThaaH

maDhye thishTanthi

raajasaaH

 

jaghanyaguNavrtthisThaaH aDho gacChanthi thaamasaaH

 

Those

who are established in satthva goes up in evolution, while the rajasik stay in

the middle while the thamasik go down.

 

The

ladder of spirituality as opposed to the ladder of descent described in the

second chapter by the sloka Dhyaayatho

vishyaan pumsaH, is indicated here briefly. The rest of the chapters of

Gita, except the fifteenth which is of high spiritual content, discuss the

gunas and their effects, also categorizing everything into the three gunas.

Here we have only a reference to the evolution of man.

 

Those

with satthva stand high while those with rajas are in the middle and those with

thamas are below. Apart from the last thought at the time of death, the

attitude and behaviour through out the life determines the progress in

spirituality. Those who cultivate satthva in their lives rise above and they

are at few steps away from the final state of sThithaprajna. Those with rajas

are half way through with the choice of either rising above or to go below. Those with thamas have along way

to go. They are mentioned as jaghanyagunavrtthisThaah,

those who are of despicable nature.

 

So what is the way out of sinking below and to

reach the ultimate? This is given in the next two slokas.